An overall concept of reliability and its application is fundamental in assessing electronic systems where such aspects as safety and availability are of prime importance. The need for, and the depth of, assessment tends to depend on the human or financial risks involved with the particular system. Appropriately, the quantification of reliability has played an important part in the current develop...
View full abstract»

The prediction of electronic equipment reliability is especially important where hazardous processes and risks to plant and personnel are involved and where low values of fail-dangerous rates for the equipment are consequently required. Three methods of failure rate prediction are discussed: the total component count, the functional block analysis and the failure modes and effects analysis. The ef...
View full abstract»

This paper demonstrates the criteria of quality and reliability which can be obtained for three types of non-professional grade capacitors. Figures are given for both Acceptable Quality Level and Lot Tolerance Percentage Defective, for three levels of applications, and failure rates are examined as a function of temperature and voltage, for the three classes considered. Life expectancy and its dep...
View full abstract»

The reliability of a system using integrated circuits is not an independent variable. Factors such as the system cost, capability, and complexity must also be considered as affecting reliability. By implication this also applies to each individual integrated circuit, to an extent determined by its inherent reliability and its influence in the system, which in turn depends on the system design, sin...
View full abstract»

In order to assure that the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Airspace System (NAS) equipments are reliable, maintainable and cost effective, a comprehensive methodology for achieving optimum Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) levels has been developed by the Airway Facilities Service in the FAA. This paper describes the methodology, its approach and the specific life...
View full abstract»

However careful the initial design, advanced electronic equipment used in rigorous environments usually needs a reliability growth programme (R.G.P.), consisting of prolonged functional operation during development, to enable it to reach its potential reliability. Such a programme highlights those types of unforeseen design failures which will not show up except by working the equipment over a per...
View full abstract»

The events can be traced by stating the various requirements imposed on government and industry through increased pressures from users and maintainers for a better guarantee against rising costs. The history is outlined by showing the influence which the development of an electronic reliability concept had on all organizations and how these in turn became involved in this new science. Mention is m...
View full abstract»

A brief survey points out the part played by Reliability Data Banks in reliability studies and their importance to further developments of probabilistic studies and the credibility of numerical estimations. The Reliability Data Bank activities of the CNET (French National Centre for Telecommunication Studies) are described in some detail; this bank deals with electronic components. A Reliability D...
View full abstract»

From the I EC work on an international vocabulary of reliability which started in 1965 the paper reviews the present position, and shows how the vocabulary produced for electronic reliability has been used for engineering in general. It is further shown how in the UK, the vocabulary has been incorporated in the comprehensive glossary of terms and definitions covering all aspects of quality assuran...
View full abstract»

Aims & Scope

Published from 1963 to February 1964 by the British Institution of Radio Engineers and from March 1964 to 1984 by the the Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers, The Radio and Electronic Engineer published papers describing original research and development in all branches of electronic engineering, as well as critical and interpretive surveys. Short contributions dealing with device technology, circuit techniques and experimental methods were also included.